Question 25/2: Access technology for broadband telecommunications including imt, for developing countries


Wireless Broadband Access Technologies, Including IMT



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3.4 Wireless Broadband Access Technologies, Including IMT


“A number of BWA systems and applications, based on different standards, are available and the suitability of each depends on usage (fixed vs. nomadic/mobile), and performance and geographic requirements, among others. In countries where wired infrastructure is not well established, BWA systems can be more easily deployed to deliver services to population bases in dense urban environments as well as those in more remote areas. Some users may only require broadband Internet access for short-ranges whereas others users may require broadband access over longer distances. Moreover, these same users may require that their BWA applications be nomadic, mobile, fixed or a combination of all three. In sum, there are a number of multi-access solutions and the choice of which to implement will depend on the interplay of requirements, the use of various technologies to meet these requirements, the availability of spectrum (licensed vs. unlicensed), and the scale of network required for the delivery of BWA applications and services (local vs. metropolitan area networks).”60

Recommendation ITU-R M.1801 contains “Radio interface standards for broadband wireless access systems, including mobile and nomadic applications, in the mobile service operating below 6 GHz”. These standards support a wide range of applications in urban, suburban and rural areas for both generic broadband internet data and real-time data, including applications such as voice and videoconferencing. The following standards are included in Recommendation ITU-R M.1801:

– (Annex 1) ARIB HiSWANa

– (Annex 1) ETSI BRAN HiperLAN 2

– (Annex 1) IEEE 802.11-2012 Subclause 17 (Formerly 802.11a)

– (Annex 1) IEEE 802.11-2012 Subclause 18 (Formerly 802.11b)

– (Annex 1) IEEE 802.11-2012 Subclause 19 (Formerly 802.11g)

– (Annex 1) IEEE 802.11-2012 As amended by IEEE 802.11n (Subclause 20)

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 CDMA Direct Spread

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 CDMA Multi-Carrier

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 CDMA TDD

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 FDMA/TDMA

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 OFDMA TDD WMAN

– (Annex 2) IMT-2000 TDMA Single-Carrier

– (Annex 3) LTE-Advanced

– (Annex 4) IEEE 802.16 WirelessMAN/ETSI HiperMAN

– (Annex 5) ATIS-0700004.2005 high capacity-spatial division multiple access (HC-SDMA)

– (Annex 6) eXtended Global Platform : XGP

– (Annex 7) IEEE 802.20

– (Annex 8) YD/T 1956-2009 Air interface of SCDMA broadband wireless access system standard.

Recommendations ITU-R M.1457 and ITU-R M.2012 provide, respectively, the detailed specifications of the terrestrial radio interfaces of International Mobile Telcommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) and International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced). These recommendations provide specific information regarding the air interfaces that are used in all modern commercial mobile telephony and mobile broadband networks. Recommendation ITU-R M.1457 contains overviews and detailed specifications of each of the IMT-2000 radio interfaces:

– (Section 5.1) IMT-2000 CDMA Direct Spread

– (Section 5.2) IMT-2000 CDMA Multi-Carrier

– (Section 5.3) IMT-2000 CDMA TDD

– (Section 5.4) IMT-2000 TDMA Single-Carrier

– (Section 5.5) IMT-2000 FDMA/TDMA

– (Section 5.6) IMT-2000 OFDMA TDD WMAN

Recommendation ITU-R M.2012 contains “Detailed specifications of the terrestrial radio interfaces of International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced”. The Recommendation includes both overviews and detailed specifications of the two IMT-Advanced radio interfaces:

– (Annex 1) Specification of the LTE-Advanced radio interface technology

– (Annex 2) Specification of the WirelessMAN-Advanced radio interface technology

Recommendation ITUR M.1450 contains “Characteristics of broadband radio local area networks” and includes technical parameters, and information on RLAN standards and operational characteristics. Basic characteristics of broadband RLANs and general guidance for their system design are also addressed in Recommendation ITU-R M.1450.The Recommendation contains each broadband RLAN standard and information in the annexes can be used for general information on RLANs, including characteristics. Information is also provided on how to obtain complete standards described in the Recommendation.

The following standards are included in Recommendation ITU-R M.1450:

– IEEE Std 802.11-2012 Clause 17, commonly known as 802.11b

– IEEE Std 802.11-2012 Clause 18, commonly known as 802.11a

– IEEE Std 802.11-2012 Clause 19, commonly known as 802.11i

– IEEE Std 802.11-2012 Clause 20, commonly known as 802.11n

– IEEE 802.11ac

– IEEE Std 802.11ad-2012

– ESTI BRAN HIPERLAN2

– ARIB HiSWANa

The annexes in Recommendation ITU-R M.1450 contain the following information:

– Annex 1 – Obtaining additional information on RLAN standards

– Annex 2 – Basic characteristics of broadband RLANs and general guidance for deployment

 Mobility

 Operational environment and considerations of interface

 System architecture including fixed applications

 Interface mitigation techniques under frequency sharing environments

 General characteristics


3.5 Satellite Broadband Access Technologies and Solutions

3.5.1 Overview


Broadband access is an important indicator for economic development. Increasingly, governments have developed goals and strategies to ensure access to all citizens, but have been challenged to meet objectives in rural and remote areas. Many countries’ broadband goals may not be achieved without a mix of broadband technologies, including cable, fiber, wireless – and satellite. Terrestrial infrastructure is often concentrated in urban centers, with limited coverage for rural and remote areas, preventing segments of the population from benefiting from the information society. Ongoing advancements in satellite networks, ground equipment and applications have made satellite technologies an increasingly cost effective solution – and a critical component of telecommunications and broadband access strategies and national broadband plans, particularly to ensure coverage in remote and rural areas.

Satellite-based Internet and broadband services provide an opportunity to extend connectivity to even the most remote areas where terrestrial-based (wired or wireless) services are unavailable or expensive to deploy. With increased demand and the development of rural or universal access broadband strategies, there has been an increase in demand for satellite-based solutions for rural and remote areas, including through government-led projects or public-private partnerships which aim to increase access. This section provides an overview of some of the available and emerging satellite based broadband access solutions – many of which are currently deployed in developing country markets.

Some satellite based access technologies are aimed primarily at provision of broadband to a fixed location, others provide broadband to mobile terminals, which may be used on the move, or from a temporary fixed location.

3.5.2 Satellite Broadband Capabilities and Characteristics


Satellite services are increasingly being implemented as an internet and broadband access solution in both developed and developing country markets. Satellite-based services offer many advantages, particularly for remote and rural areas where terrestrial infrastructure is limited, such as:

– ubiquitous coverage to all corners of the globe;

– cost-effective and easy-to-install solutions, even for remote and rural areas;

– no significant ground infrastructure investment required;

– sustains large end-user populations;

– capable of large network deployments;

– fixed and mobile applications; and

– reliable and redundant services in the case of a disaster or emergency situation.


Ready to Deploy – Globally


Given their unique regional and global coverage capabilities, satellites are able to deliver immediate internet and broadband connectivity even to remote areas using existing satellite resources. This gives the flexibility and capacity to extend the service footprint based on market demand, instantly and easily covering rural areas. Importantly, particularly for developing regions, end-user and community connectivity is possible without huge capital investments or extensive build-out programs. Once a satellite system is operational, connectivity can be further extended to user locations with easy-to-deploy and install ground terminals. As users increase, economies of scale enable cheaper equipment, making satellite an even more competitive solution since build out is not sensitive to distance or location as with fiber.
Moreover, high-density, small-dish services, which can be enabled by higher PFD levels, offer the opportunity for even more cost-effective connectivity. As next generation satellite networks are launched, capacity is increasing and higher speed, lower latency options make satellite even more attractive as a solution.

3.5.3 Satellite Constellation Characteristics


Satellite system can be in either a geostationary orbit (GSO) or non-geostationary orbit (NGSO), each with its particular characteristics.

3.5.3.1 GSO


A geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite communication system can provide broadband services to fixed or mobile user terminals. With the use of large satellite antenna(s), broadband services can be provided to small user terminals taking advantage of the large satellite antenna gain. A GEO satellite system with multi-beam antennas has a larger capacity than a system with a single global beam over the same service area. 61

S.1 illustrates a multi-beam satellite system providing broadband (IP packet) services. Services for mobile users are linked to a terrestrial core network through a fixed earth station (FES) and satellite. The FES is a gateway that links user services to the terrestrial network. When the satellite has on-board processing (OBP) capability, it can perform adaptive resource allocation. 62

Figure 3.5.3.1-1: Multi-beam satellite system providing broadband (IP packet) services




State of the art


Broadband satellite could be a viable way to achieve broadband penetration for those in communities that are underserved and where it would be prohibitively expensive to build terrestrial infrastructure. 63 Currently, most satellite Internet services are provided at data rates that are lower than the minimum data rates set forth in various national regulations. 64 However, there are many advanced technologies that could be applied in the provision of satellite Internet services and qualify them as broadband services. To access government subsidies for the provision of Internet broadband services, satellite companies will have to meet the minimum data rates as defined in each national strategy.

High-throughput satellites (HTS) are being developed by several companies worldwide that could meet the minimum data rates defined for broadband. For example, in the US, developers of HTS are expected to provide download data rates to the user of 210 Mbit/s and 5-25 Mbit/s, respectively. 65 However, these HTS will operate in GEO and, as a result, are more susceptible to latency than low earth orbit (LEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites. Too much latency could hinder the use of interactive real-time applications. However, the latency issue is less relevant for applications that require best-effort network performance, such as e-mail and Internet browsing. To attempt to overcome the latency issue, one company is currently developing a satellite broadband Internet service provided by MEO satellites. 66 This development includes the deployment of several MEO satellites – at 1/5 the distance of GEO satellites – that use flexible spot beams to provide Internet broadband services to developing nations. By reducing the distance of satellites from the earth, the latency of round-trip delay will be less.


Broadband satellite systems using Ku and Ka bands


The increasing demand for broadband services can be effectively handled by a satellite system using high frequency bands such as the Ku and Ka bands. In particular, to provide high-speed Internet and television (TV) services to maritime and air vehicles, a satellite system may be the only possible option. In this case, an active array antenna that is mounted on a moving vehicle is used to track a satellite and provide seamless connections.

For Ka-band broadband satellite systems, the volume of traffic on the forward link, which provides connections from the satellite gateway to the user terminals, is much greater than that on the return link, which provides connections from the user terminals to the satellite gateway. Recommendation ITU-R S.1709contains three air interface standards, which may be used to implement broadband satellite networks. 67


Broadband satellite systems using L-band (1.5/1.6 GHz)


Frequency bands allocated to the MSS around 1.5/1.6 are used by NGSO and GSO MSS networks. Current services available to users range from low data rate (e.g. voice and SCADA68) to broadband rates for GSO MSS systems of around 500 kbit/s. Data rates may increase in the future. A range of terminals are available, including terminals with tracking antennas intended for use on ships and aircraft, and small handheld and portable terminals.

Some of the services currently offered use radio interfaces which are among the family of satellite component of IMT-2000, described in Recommendation ITU-R M.1850.


3.5.3.2 NGSO


Satellite systems that use non-geostationary satellite orbits (NGSO) usually have a lower orbital altitude than geostationary satellites (GSO), which operate at approximately 36,000 km altitude. One type of NGSO satellite system uses a Medium-Earth Orbit (“MEO”), which follows circular orbits around the Equator. Other NGSO satellite system operate in low-Earth orbits (LEOs), sometimes in circular but inclined orbits that provide better coverage to higher latitudes, such as the Scandinavian countries. While still other MEO systems employ elliptical orbits that are closer to the earth at one point in their orbit and farther at the opposite point.

MEO satellite design provides several major advantages:


High Availability: Fiber is not always available, especially for landlocked nations, and rural and remote areas of a country. In addition, GSO coverage may not be complete over certain countries or regions (such as the Pacific Ocean island nations).

– Affordable Cost: MEO design can create substantial savings compared to either GSO capacity or to building and maintaining thousands of kilometers of fiber infrastructure or hundreds of radio towers to interconnect cities and towns. Rural areas with several small to medium size towns will be able to obtain low latency, high rate internet connectivity with very little capital expenditures ahead of initiating service.

– High Throughput: Throughput is measured in the steady state flow of megabits per second (Mbps) and is important for downloading large files, watching video, or other bandwidth intensive utilization. Proposed NGSO systems provide scalable bandwidth and spot beams which can be steered to any location ahead of fiber, moved as demographics change, or moved as the market demands, providing added flexibility in rolling out broadband and mobile voice services nationwide.

– Low Latency: Latency is the round trip time that each packet takes between a computer and the server. Latency dictates how fast web pages load and how well collaborative online applications function. Compared to GSO satellites with approximately 500-600ms latency, the MEO altitude of e.g. 8000km enables round trip customer-gateway latencies of <150ms, very close to that experienced in a pure terrestrial fiber-based network, and critical to the provision of the real-time, interactive applications. Furthermore, because cellular backhaul today is made up primarily of voice traffic, such a MEO system low latency enables high quality voice and is a very good solution for backhaul. If digital infrastructure is to be a true economic engine in the future, network operators must consider low latency, in addition to high throughput, as a key driver in successful broadband network implementation.

– Strong Public Benefits: As telecom and mobile operators consider how to build out their networks to reach their service obligations in the rural and remote parts of their countries, governments are also evaluating their role in accelerating deployment of broadband technology to their most needy populations. MEO satellite’s beam flexibility provides governments with an important tool in the fulfillment of their national broadband plans on the ambitious schedules many have announced. In addition, MEO satellite capacity can serve as an easily deployable high-speed communications backbone for disaster recovery efforts, and can provide critical redundancy to long haul fiber cables (either within a country or for submarine cables serving a country).

A connected world enables new levels of understanding, sharing of ideas and has a pronounced impact on economic growth, knowledge development, and efficient government. This connected world however requires modern and resilient communications infrastructure.


Middle range transmission media


MEO (“medium Earth orbit”) satellite systems are ideally suited to providing “middle mile” trunking and backhaul capacity for national telecom operators, mobile operators, ISPs, large enterprises and government agencies. Because a MEO satellite system is much closer to the Earth than a geostationary satellite, there is a far lower latency in the signals, which is essential for many types of today’s IP-based and broadband services.

With low latency combined with wide bandwidth and high throughput, a MEO satellite system can be the much-needed middle mile in remote and rural areas where traditional terrestrial and geostationary satellite technologies have not or cannot provide the necessary broadband capacity.


3.5.4 System and Deployment Options and Considerations


Within the past few years, satellites have been instrumental in bringing broadband services to users located in areas where terrestrial infrastructure such as xDSL or cable cannot reach, and offering a layer of redundancy for terrestrial links in the case of a disaster or other outage.

3.5.4.1 VSAT


Countries throughout the developing world are experiencing tremendous growth in VSAT deployments, as e-governance initiatives, corporate networks and rural demand for broadband, television and mobile phone and mobile broadband services also increase. Corporate or organizational VSAT networks have become increasingly vital, as companies and their metropolitan and rural workforces depend on reliable and scalable connectivity for everything from email, Internet and Intranet access. Such networks are also critical in providing redundancy or back up connectivity for critical networks in the case of a disaster or other outage.

Moreover, direct-to-Home satellite broadband is a growing service option for developing countries. Service providers seeking alternative solutions for internet access in rural and remote locations have found satellite broadband to be a compelling solution – and one that is proven and easy to deploy.


3.5.4.2 Community Access Points


The combination of VSAT and Wireless is an effective solution for many rural applications. Rural populations are often clustered in or around villages with most of the populations within a range of 1 to 5 km. A single VSAT can provide service to an entire village using a wireless local loop solution for the last mile connection. Wireless has the added advantage of spanning rivers or other obstacles and provides a more reliable connection when cable theft is a problem.

One possible solution involves an integrated system of a VSAT, a wireless local loop base station and a solar power system all mounted on a 10 meter post. Such a solution is easy to install, helps overcome obstructions from buildings, addresses power source concerns and is very secure.

The combination of a satellite VSAT connection to the Internet plus WiFi for local access by multiple users can provide the lower per-subscriber costs that the market requires, particularly in rural and remote areas. The satellite connection brings the Internet stream to the village, and WiFi access points extend that connectivity to homes, schools, and public buildings. Users can share both equipment and connection costs through subscription or other joint payment plans.

The keys factors to reducing costs are:

– Use low cost equipment – Off the shelf, open standard equipment (DSL/WiFi/Cable modem) leverages mass production. Integrating satellite equipment that is based on widely-accepted global standards dramatically reduces equipment cost.

– Maximize Subscribers per Gateway – A larger pool of subscribers reduces the equipment cost per subscriber. A larger subscriber base is also more efficient in sharing a single connection. The key issue is to extend the range of standard WiFi equipment to allow a single VSAT to service an entire village.

Such solutions integrate interactive satellite broadband service with the existing last mile infrastructure, such as copper line, TV cable or wireless network. A single central satellite antenna is installed at an aggregation point – i.e. street cabinet in the community, cable TV head-end, or WiFi mast. The broadband connection to the end users is then supplied via the existing last mile infrastructure or the WiFi access, providing all households with internet access at a speed of up to 8 Mbit/s. End users do not have to install a satellite antenna at home, but pay only for a DSL connection and a standard broadband equipment.

3.5.4.3 Spectrum Considerations


Frequency bands used can impact the size of the dish required and its capabilities:

– L-band (1.5/1.6 GHz) is used by NGSO and GSO MSS systems. For GSO MSS systems large antennas (e.g. 10-20 m diameter) are used on the satellite platform to provide large number of small spot beams on the Earth surface. This allows use of small mobile terminals (e.g. laptop sized) to provide broadband connectivity. Due to the limited spectrum available in this range, data rates are limited (currently around 500 kbit/s). L-band frequencies are virtually unaffected by propagation impairments. Applications include internet access for remote workers such as those in mining, relief agency workers and journalists.

– C-band (4/6 GHz) transmissions require larger dishes because of the longer wavelength of transmissions in this frequency range. Transmissions in the C-band are less affected by rain fade and other weather conditions compared to higher frequencies because of the highly favorable propagation characteristics of this spectrum. Applications include GSM backhaul, public switched networks, corporate networks, and Internet trunking.

– Ku-band (11-12/14 GHz) has a shorter wavelength allowing for smaller dishes than C-band. However, the higher frequencies make Ku-band more susceptible to atmospheric conditions like rain fade. Applications include VSAT, rural telephony and broadband, satellite news gathering, backhaul links, videoconferencing and multi-media.

– Ka-band (20/30 GHz) has even shorter wavelengths than Ku-band, allowing for even smaller dish size; however transmissions are also even more susceptible to poor weather conditions. High-bandwidth interactive services are possible including high-speed Internet, videoconferencing, and multi-media applications.

Services provided via C-band have been an essential element of the global telecommunications infrastructure. C-band fixed satellite services offer higher reliability and availability than Ku and Ka band networks under rain-fade conditions, and permit broad regional coverage using global beams. For these reasons C-band is generally the frequency band of choice for connecting remote areas of developing countries with wide territories and/or suffering frequent adverse weather conditions.


3.5.4.4 Mitigating Interference


Countries considering deployment of satellite communications in support of a broader broadband deployment strategy should take steps to ensure that satellite and terrestrial networks are able to operate in an interference-free environment. The ITU-R has studied the impact of sharing between satellite and terrestrial networks regarding IMT deployment and offers guidance on effective deployments.

For example, to provide secure satellite backhaul for IMT networks in countries most susceptible to rain fade (tropic areas around the equator) or support satellite broadband deployments, spectrum below 4200 MHz allocated for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) should be protected from harmful interference from other services. Relevant ITU reports include:

– Report ITU-R S.2199 “Studies on compatibility of broadband wireless access (BWA) systems and fixed-satellite service (FSS) networks in the 3 400-4 200 MHz band”

– ITU-R Report M.2109 – sharing studies between IMT Advanced systems and geostationary satellite networks in the fixed-satellite service in the 3 400-4 200 and 4 500-4 800 MHz frequency bands

Such considerations are particularly essential for those satellite broadband networks supporting critical services such as e-government or emergency communications applications.

Refer to Annex III for a list of ITU-R Recommendations that may provide a useful reference for satellite systems.




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